The same inventor of this application had invented a safety umbrella runner ergonomically operated by sliding push button in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,141 having the push button slidably held in the runner; whereby upon depression of the push button, a spring catch as resiliently held in the central shaft of the umbrella and as outwardly protruding through the shaft will be disengaged from a catch slit formed through the shaft for unlocking the runner on the shaft in order for closing the umbrella.
However, the catch slit as cut through the tube of the central shaft may weaken the mechanical strength of the shaft to easily twist, deform, break or damage the umbrella, thereby shortening the service life of the umbrella.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional umbrella and invented the present umbrella with safe runner and strong shaft tube.
The object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella including: a spring catch secured on an upper portion of a central shaft of the umbrella, and a runner slidably held on the central shaft to be engaged with the spring catch when opening the umbrella, with the spring catch juxtapositionally positioned and operated outside the central shaft without cutting a catch slit or slot through a tube of the central shaft as found in a conventional umbrella having the spring catch retained within the central shaft and protruding outwardly through the catch slit for locking the runner, thereby enhancing the strength of the tube of the central shaft and prolonging the service life of the umbrella.